County News

Marion County Health and Human Services is investigating whether Woodburn area residents recently exposed to the measles virus in Washington State may be at risk for measles. Public health officials are monitoring the exposure and offering advice on preventing further spread of the virus.

At this time there are no confirmed cases of measles in Marion County. Public health officials will provide updates as additional information becomes available. The Marion County Public Health Division can be reached at (503) 588-5621.

Measles is caused by a virus that can quickly and easily spread from person to person. However, many Oregonians are vaccinated against measles and general risk to the community is low.

Persons are considered immune (not susceptible) to measles if any of the following apply:

They were born before 1957.

They are certain they have had measles.

They are up to date on measles vaccines (one dose for children 12 months through 3 years old, two doses for school children, adolescents, college students, and adults who work in health care; one dose for other adults).

Laboratory testing shows they have antibodies to measles.

High-risk groups include unvaccinated people (including babies too young to be vaccinated), travelers to areas where measles is prevalent and health care workers. Measles is more severe in infants and children under 5 years of age, in pregnant women, in adults over 20 years of age and in people with limited immune systems.

Patients with measles symptoms (fever and rash) should phone their health care provider in advance to arrange to be seen where other patients will not be exposed.

An infected person can spread measles from four days before to four days after the rash appears. The virus can live up to two hours in an airspace where an infected person coughed or sneezed.

​Beginning Monday, March 10, 2019, the Marion County Dog Shelter is introducing new public hours. The shelter will be open Monday – Friday 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Additionally, dog control enforcement will be expanded to provide weekend service.

"The new hours are in response to community requests for evening shelter hours," said Community Service Director Tamra Goettsch. "By staying open later we'll be more responsive for found dog intake and lost dog returns, reuniting people and their pets that much faster." The expansion of dog control hours will allow dog control officers to increase dog safety services throughout Marion County.

Purchasing of dog licenses and adoption services will be available during the shelter's public hours.

Dog license and other fees will increase beginning February 1. Dog license and impound fees and fines are part of the shelter's annual operating budget and are used to help cover the cost of shelter operations, including dog control officers who help maintain community safety. This will be the first increase in fees for the dog shelter since 2011 and the first increase to licensing fees since 2002.

License fees for will increase from $17 to $20 annually for altered dogs and from $32 to $37 for non-altered dogs. Discounted fees are available for multi-year licenses and for senior dog owners. A full fee schedule is attached.

Marion County Dog Services operates the county dog shelter whose mission is to provide shelter and care for stray dogs until they are reunited with their families or adopted; enforcing Marion County dog licensing and control ordinances; promoting humane treatment of dogs; and educating residents on quality dog care.

MARION COUNTY, OR – The arrival of fall typically signals the seasonal closure of several Marion County parks. This year, for the first time, a second parks program employee has been hired which will allow a number of parks that are normally closed for the season to remain open. Russ Dilley, parks coordinator, said, "We receive requests every year to keep some of our seasonal parks open but we've been unable to because we've only had one employee to maintain all the county parks. This year the Marion County Board of Commissioners approved an additional full-time parks employee, which means we'll be able to expand and improve our services."

On November 1, the following parks will close until May 1, 2019:

Spong's Landing on the Willamette River north of Keizer; and,

Bear Creek, North Fork, and Salmon Falls parks, which are all in the North Santiam River Basin.

On November 1, the gate at Scotts Mills Park will be locked for the season, but like St. Louis Fish Ponds which closed for the season on October 1, people will be allowed to walk in. Visitors should be aware that the restroom facilities at both parks are not available.

County health officials invesigating measles exposure

Posted by: Health and Human Services

Marion County Health and Human Services is investigating whether Woodburn area residents recently exposed to the measles virus in Washington State may be at risk for measles. Public health officials are monitoring the exposure and offering advice on preventing further spread of the virus.

At this time there are no confirmed cases of measles in Marion County. Public health officials will provide updates as additional information becomes available. The Marion County Public Health Division can be reached at (503) 588-5621.

Measles is caused by a virus that can quickly and easily spread from person to person. However, many Oregonians are vaccinated against measles and general risk to the community is low.

Persons are considered immune (not susceptible) to measles if any of the following apply:

They were born before 1957.

They are certain they have had measles.

They are up to date on measles vaccines (one dose for children 12 months through 3 years old, two doses for school children, adolescents, college students, and adults who work in health care; one dose for other adults).

Laboratory testing shows they have antibodies to measles.

High-risk groups include unvaccinated people (including babies too young to be vaccinated), travelers to areas where measles is prevalent and health care workers. Measles is more severe in infants and children under 5 years of age, in pregnant women, in adults over 20 years of age and in people with limited immune systems.

Patients with measles symptoms (fever and rash) should phone their health care provider in advance to arrange to be seen where other patients will not be exposed.

An infected person can spread measles from four days before to four days after the rash appears. The virus can live up to two hours in an airspace where an infected person coughed or sneezed.

Dog shelter introduces new hours and revised fee schedule

Posted by: Community Services - Dog Services

​Beginning Monday, March 10, 2019, the Marion County Dog Shelter is introducing new public hours. The shelter will be open Monday – Friday 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Additionally, dog control enforcement will be expanded to provide weekend service.

"The new hours are in response to community requests for evening shelter hours," said Community Service Director Tamra Goettsch. "By staying open later we'll be more responsive for found dog intake and lost dog returns, reuniting people and their pets that much faster." The expansion of dog control hours will allow dog control officers to increase dog safety services throughout Marion County.

Purchasing of dog licenses and adoption services will be available during the shelter's public hours.

Dog license and other fees will increase beginning February 1. Dog license and impound fees and fines are part of the shelter's annual operating budget and are used to help cover the cost of shelter operations, including dog control officers who help maintain community safety. This will be the first increase in fees for the dog shelter since 2011 and the first increase to licensing fees since 2002.

License fees for will increase from $17 to $20 annually for altered dogs and from $32 to $37 for non-altered dogs. Discounted fees are available for multi-year licenses and for senior dog owners. A full fee schedule is attached.

Marion County Dog Services operates the county dog shelter whose mission is to provide shelter and care for stray dogs until they are reunited with their families or adopted; enforcing Marion County dog licensing and control ordinances; promoting humane treatment of dogs; and educating residents on quality dog care.

10-year anniversary for "Giving People a Second Chance" community breakfast

Posted by: Marion County Reentry Initiative (MCRI)

By Dick Hughes, special to Marion County

"Who would have thought 10 years ago that the Marion County Reentry Initiative would have seen such impressive results?

"Reductions in recidivism by more than 50 percent.

"More than 100 employers stepping up to help.

"And, most importantly, lives changed for the better."

Those words from Marion County Commissioner Kevin Cameron set the tone for MCRI's 10th Annual Community Breakfast, which drew several hundred guests to the Salem Convention Center on Oct. 25. They included law enforcement officers, employers, elected officials and others.

MCRI gives people a second chance while achieving a positive return on the taxpayers' investment. When formerly incarcerated individuals make a successful transition to life outside prison, the community is stronger, the burden on state and local services is less, and the incidence of crime is lower.

Cameron, then a state legislator, spoke at the first breakfast in 2009.

"We … were just starting to envision how we might tackle serious barriers facing people who are returning to our communities after paying their debt to society," he recalled. "Barriers like housing, employment, addictions, mental Illness, and lack of family and community support."

What started small has grown into a national model. As Commissioner Janet Carlson, a leading force behind the initiative, said in opening this year's breakfast, "Did you ever imagine it would be this big?"

The breakfast featured videos reprising clients' work with MCRI through those years. The common thread was the personal connections that helped them succeed.

Over those 10 years, MCRI has served more than 14,000 formerly incarcerated individuals. Nearly 6,000 have found assistance at the De Muniz Resource Center, a one-stop reentry center, since it opened in 2011. SOAR (Student Opportunity for Achieving Results) – an intensive program focused on gaining employment and overcoming substance abuse – just graduated its 30th class.

Statistical analysis verifies that these and other MCRI programs reduce recidivism and increase post-prison employment. But MCRI is about individuals, not abstract statistics, and a number of those success stories were at the breakfast, including:

Rudy Montes, who just gained his commercial driver license, had been borrowing his girlfriend's car to get to work. Carlson presented him with the keys to a refurbished Jeep from Wheels and Wishes, the nonprofit arm of AJ's Auto Repair.

Jill Shier, who struggled with mental illness along with overcoming her criminal background, and through the MCRI has become Carlson's dear friend. Carlson told the audience that she has learned more about mental health from being part of Shier's life than in all her many years as a government official and public school teacher.

This was Carlson's final MCRI breakfast before retiring as a county commissioner. She and her husband, Dee, are relocating to be closer to family.

"My goal when we started this event 10 years ago was to help this community understand on a more personal level what life is like for people returning to our communities from prison and jail," she said. "This is about people who have made serious mistakes, but have paid their debt and are wanting our acceptance."

The community does understand, donating volunteer time and more than $120,000 to MCRI. Those monies have paid for eyeglasses, ID cards, GED fees and similar items not covered by government funds; and since 2016, a portion of the funds have supported victim assistance through the Center for Hope and Safety.

A special need this year is $30,000 to continue the work of a second "navigator" at the De Muniz Resource Center who connects clients to housing, jobs, and health insurance.

Carlson was emotional as she thanked the community for celebrating MCRI's 10th anniversary.​

She is the one who deserves the community's thanks. The Marion County Reentry Initiative is both a heartwarming and a cost-effective return on investment. ​

More Marion County parks to remain open during seasonal closures

Posted by: Public Works - Environmental Services

​

MARION COUNTY, OR – The arrival of fall typically signals the seasonal closure of several Marion County parks. This year, for the first time, a second parks program employee has been hired which will allow a number of parks that are normally closed for the season to remain open. Russ Dilley, parks coordinator, said, "We receive requests every year to keep some of our seasonal parks open but we've been unable to because we've only had one employee to maintain all the county parks. This year the Marion County Board of Commissioners approved an additional full-time parks employee, which means we'll be able to expand and improve our services."

On November 1, the following parks will close until May 1, 2019:

Spong's Landing on the Willamette River north of Keizer; and,

Bear Creek, North Fork, and Salmon Falls parks, which are all in the North Santiam River Basin.

On November 1, the gate at Scotts Mills Park will be locked for the season, but like St. Louis Fish Ponds which closed for the season on October 1, people will be allowed to walk in. Visitors should be aware that the restroom facilities at both parks are not available.

Parking fee stations on North Fork Road Corridor closed for the season

Posted by: Public Works - Environmental Services

​Marion County has closed all parking fee stations along the North Fork Road Corridor for the season. Visitors to that area will not be required to pay parking fees until the fee stations are reopened on May 15, 2019.

For further information, please contact Russ Dilley, parks coordinator, at 503-588-5036 or parks@co.marion.or.us.

St. Louis Fish Ponds to close for the season

Posted by: Public Works - Environmental Services

​Marion County Parks announces that the St. Louis Fish Ponds near Gervais will close for the season on October 1, 2018.

Hunters and fishermen are still allowed to fish, hunt, and train dogs at the park during the off-season but should be aware that they must walk in after parking their vehicles at the gate and that no restroom facilities are available.

Bear Creek Park and Campground closes early for the season

Posted by: Public Works - Environmental Services

​Marion County Parks announces that Bear Creek Park and Campground has closed for the season. The seasonal park is typically open until October 31 but this year the camp host departed ahead of schedule and county staff opted to close the park because of safety and security concerns. The park will reopen on May 1, 2019.